China set to invest US$80 billion in 193 major domestic aviation projects in 2015

With a slowing down of the world’s second largest economy, the country’s state planner is approving billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure programs on the transport front to include railway links and air travel. This year alone CNY500 billion ($US80 billion) has been approved for 193 aviation projects as China’s new wealthy middle class increase demand, as has been witnessed by a 39% rise in outbound traffic between January and May this year. The plan was outlined by Li Jiaxiang, head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, though no specific details were put forward. Xi also commented that currently Chinese airlines fly 553 routes to 127 cities in 51 nations, and that they plan to add 83 more routes over this coming summer and autumn period.
It is also estimated that by 2020 China will have added an additional 40 airports to what is already a number in excess of 200. Of the money earmarked for investment in aviation this year, CNY200 billion will be spent on 51 projects in Chinese cities including Urumqi and Kunming which lie on routes marked out in China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative Li also confirmed, adding that the government intends to expand China’s traffic rights with Central, East and West Asian countries “at an appropriate time”, thus clearing the way for the introduction of new routes. It was back in 2013 that Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a new initiative to increase trade with South, Central and West and Asia, and also Europe and Africa through a wide range of projects including oil and gas pipelines as well as railways.